Rail joint and brace.



A. J. MAHR.

BAIL JOINT AND BRAGE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909.

937,621. Patented Oct. 19,1909.

album ANDRiW a, swan ca, mum-mmawml. WMIMON. a c.

ALOYSIUS J. MAI-IR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAIL JOINT AND BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application filed June 1, 1909. Serial No. 499,270.

To aLL whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoYsIUs J. MAHR, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Rail Joints and Braces, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to rail joints, and has for its object to providea simple and effective construction of joint casting or splice chair forfirmly uniting the rails and at the same time forming a continuousbridge for the passage of Wheels over the joint, and their spreading ordeflection at the joint is prevented.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a crosssection through a rail of the track adjacent the joint, showing thechair in end elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts at thejoint. Fig. 8 is an outer side elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawing, 1 and 2 desigmate the meeting ends of therails, and 3 the supporting ties therefor at opposite sides of thejoint.

The improved joint chair or casting embodying my invention comprises abase plate at which forms a seat for the rails and is preferably,although not necessarily, let into recesses 5 formed in the ties.Integral with this base plate are inner and outer fish plates 6 and 7which bear against the opposite sides of the webs of the rails and arejoined to the base plate by union plates 8 which bear against the baseflanges of the rails. Bolts 9 are preferably, although not necessarily,employed to fasten the fish plates and rails together in the usualmanner. Each fish plate is provided at its upper edge with an outturned.bracing flange 10 to engage under the heads of the rails and supportthem against depression.

The outer edge of the base plate 4t is eX- tended to provide anattaching flange 11 arranged in the plane thereof and seated in therecesses 5, and which are perforated for the passage of spikes 12 tosecure the same to the ties. This flange, the fish plate 6 and rails.

the adjoiningunion plate 8 and flange 10 are united by spaced verticaltriangular bracing webs 13, whereby the splice chair is greatlystrengthened and reinforced at its outer side. At its inner side theedge of the base plate is connected with the adjacent flange 10 by aninclined or diagonal brace bar or plate 14: extending the full length ofthe chair. From the lower edge of this brace bar or plate extend lugs orflanges 15 arranged above the plane of the plate 4 and which restdirectly upon the upper surfaces of the ties and are perforated for thepassage of spikes 16 to secure them to the latter, thus firmly fasteningsuch side of the chair to the ties. The upper edge of the brace plate isextended to provide a bridge bar 17 which crosses the joint and bearsagainst the inner sides of the heads of the This bar forms in eflect anauxiliary rail to assist in sustaining the Weight of the wheel 18passing over the joint and 1s provided with a groove 19 to receive andform a tread portion for the flange 20 of the Wheel.

In the operation of applying the device, the ends of the rails areinserted into the space between the fish plates after the chair has beenplaced in position upon the ties, the bolts 9 applied, and the spikes 12and 16 then driven, whereby the chair and rails will be firmly andsecurely fastened in position. The rails will thus be held and supportedat the joint against both lateral andvertioal movement so that theycannot spread or become depressed. It will be apparent that theprovision of the bracing webs and plate insures great strength andrigidity to the chair to sustain the strains falling upon it, and thatby the provision of the grooved bridge bar the wheels of the rollingstock are supported at the joint and prevented from depressing andhammering the rails. The structure described not only secures theseadvantages and provides an economical type of joint, but also enablesthe parts to be disconnected for renewal or repairs when occasionrequires.

Claim,

A rail chair comprising a base plate, fish plates rising therefrom andhaving flanges to support the rail heads, bracing webs unit ing the fishplate and base plate at one side of the chair, an inclined brace lateuniting brace and arranged above the plane of the the base plate andfish plate at the opposite base. 10 side of the chair and extend-ing thefull In testimony whereof I aflix my signature length of the latter,said brace plate having in presence of two Witnesses.

an extension forming a tread to support the ALOYSIUS J. MAI-IR. Wheelsin passing over the joint and formed Witnesses;

With a flange receiving groove, and attach- GEO. WV. MATTHEWS,

ing flanges extending from said inclined WM. ALBRIGHT.

